The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c31.55

v1.c31.55

Another poet of fame was Tenali Ramalinga. He was first introduced to the court of Krishna Deva Raya, and was still one of the court poets during the reign of Venkata II. In order to please this sovereign he became a Vaishnava in his old days, and then changed his name to Tenali Ramakrishna. His *Lingapurana* was written in the early years of his life. He was born, it seems, in the village of Tenali in the Krishna district; and he studied Telugu so earnestly from his boyhood that he became a perfect master of this language. His wit and humour are praised even today by students of Telugu literature 1.